وَلَوْ كَانَتِ الاْنْبِيَاءُ أَهْلَ قُوَّة لاَ تُرَامُ، وَعِزَّة لاَ تُضَامُ، وَمُلْك تُمَدُّ نُحْوَهُ أَعْنَاقُ الرِّجَالِ، وَتُشَدُّ إِلَيْهِ عُقَدُ الرِّحَالِ، لَكَانَ ذلِكَ أَهْوَنَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ فِي الاْعَتِبَارِ، وَأَبْعَدَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الاْسْتَكْبَارِ، وَلامَنُوا عَنْ رَهْبَة قَاهِرَة لَهْمْ، أَوْ رَغْبَة مَائِلَة بِهِمْ، فَكَانَتِ النِّيَّاتُ مُشْتَرَكَةً، وَالْحَسَنَاتُ مُقْتَسَمَةً. وَلكِنَّ اللهَ سْبْحَانَهُ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الاْتِّبَاعُ لِرُسُلِهِ، وَالْتَّصْدِيقُ بِكُتُبِهِ، وَالْخُشُوعُ لِوَجْهِهِ، وَالاْسْتِكَانَةُ لاِمْرِهِ، وَالاْسْتِسْلاَمُ لِطَاعَتِهِ، أُمُوراً لَهُ خَاصَّةً، لاَ تَشُوبُهَا مِنْ غَيْرِهَا شَائِبَةٌ، وَكُلَّمَا كَانَتِ الْبلْوَى وَالاْخْتِبَارُ أَعْظَمَ كَانَتِ الْمَثُوبَةُ وَالْجَزَاءُ أَجْزَلَ.
If the prophets possessed authority that could not be assaulted, or honour that could not be damaged or domain towards which the necks of people would turn and the saddles of mounts could be set, it would have been very easy for people to seek lessons and quite difficult to feel vanity. They would have then accepted belief out of fear felt by them or inclination attracting them, and the intention of them all would have been the same, although their actions would have been different. Therefore, Allāh, the Glorified decided that people should follow His prophets, acknowledge His books, remain humble before His face, obey His command and accept His obedience with sincerity in which there should not be an iota of anything else; and as the trial and tribulation would be stiffer the reward and recompense too should be larger.
